Today, let me write some random thoughts. ‘May be…’ kind of stuff. It may not make any sense to some of you.

Have you seen ocean/river? Waves? The sailors daily see waves. In our Hindi literature we have many names for sailors. Naakhuda, Maazi etc. Today I want to write about a specific sailor. Many of us know him. All of us are using his contribution in our day to day life, unknowingly, while talking over mobile, watching VCD/DVD/TV. Any guess? No? Let me tell you.

He is Joseph Fourier. He was a French mathematician and physicist best known for initiating the investigation of Fourier series and Fourier transform. Yes he was sailor. He was daily looking at waves in ocean. May be, that is why, he came up with Fourier transform, a mathematical method, that we learnt in engineering. The Fourier transform decomposes any function into oscillatory functions. This algorithm is core of all modern digital wireless communication equipments including mobile, WiFi router, TV setup box etc.

Let me give you a simple example to explain Fourier transform. You must have seen those dancing vertical bars, (along with music), in your stereo system. It is called spectrum analyzer. Have you observed them? The left most bars will move along with drums beats/bass, middle ones, with human voice or other musical instruments. The right most will jump along with strings/KHANJARI/MANJIRA/ Jankar beats/treble sound. These jumping bars are result of Fourier transform! Basically it identifies and segregates human voice, drums, Jankar beats, and other instruments to animate spectrum analyzer. Music has rhythm. This spectrum analyzer conveys you rhythm of different instruments. I am sure, now you got what Fourier transform is and appreciate it.

OK? What else has rhythm? Look at the Sun. So punctual ! Seasons. Moon phase. Ocean tides. So it seems like the nature has in-built rhythm. What about our own body. Yes it has biological rhythm. And Mind? Most of the time, it wanders. Does it have any rhythm? Probably not. Can we analyze mind? How nice it would be if we have spectrum analyzer for mind! Anger, love, smile, happiness, joy, jealousy all these different feelings, we can see as different vertical bars. The height of bar will be proportional to intensity of that feeling. Does our mood remain constant forever? No. so this mind spectrum analyzer should also have jumping bars. Sometimes, happiness will more :) and sometimes sadness :( .

Let’s think like an expert. We just tapped audio signal which goes to speaker, with spectrum analyzer. How about mind? We cannot even see it. Then how to capture it? Simple. Very simple. If mind is a kite then breath is a string that controls it. Yes. Consider breath as time domain signal. Apply Fourier transform to it to convert it to frequency domain, and what you get is mind! Mind is like aggregation of different feelings. This Fourier transform is also summation of different harmonics. At any moment, one harmonics will be dominating. At spectrum analyzer, any one vertical bar will have highest peak. Same way, one feeling will dominate at any instance of time, corresponding rhythm will be there in breath. Is not it?

Now how about inverse Fourier transform? It is like, draw an animating spectrum analyzer and get music out of it. Yes musicians do that. They describe chord of music that we hear as musical notes being played. Each key of keyboard/piano/harmonium will generate a harmonics with specific frequency. How about mind? If we change rhythm of breathing then will emotion change? May be... Next time, when you become angry just start taking deep breath inhale and continue to remain angry. Possible? Try it out. Mind is compared with monkey, but controlled mind is as powerful as the Lord Hanuman. Makes sense? May be…

By the way, I came across Art of Living Foundation – a largest NGO of the world. They teach how to breathe! Sounds funny? But tell me. Are you breathing? Are you aware about it? Sudarshan Kriya is a powerful breathing technique that impact, health, body, mind and all seven layers of our existence. This breathing rhythm in time domain will impact your mind in frequency domain. It is worth to learn those Art of Living techniques to operate on your own mind. I think, the mind and breath both are linked with Fourier transform. Mind will start wondering from wandering and you will start your journey back towards the source.

Let me end here, with a thought provoking question. Fourier transform is applied on time domain samples, collected over a small period of time. An instantaneous time domain signal cannot be transformed to frequency domain. Same way, if a person is completely in present moment - neither past, nor future - then where is mind?

Notes: I am thankful to Prof. A.K.Patel of my DDIT college (now DDU), who taught me Fourier Transform and my friends for their valuable comments. All the thoughts and ideas presented in articles are author’s own.

Last post was about Diwali festival. So what comes after Diwali festival? It is New Year day as per our Vikram Savant calendar. Many Indian people including people of my Gujarat state celebrate their new year on this day. So today’s blog is about my poem on New Year. If you can read Gujarati, then click here, else you need to read this translated version.

Today at new morning of new year, when the Sun is just rising, a budding poet also put his 100% effort for his first poem.

Yes, as usual, this new year started with rooster’s voice “KOOKADE KOOOOOOOK”. We wished our friends and relatives Happy New year.

However... this New Year appears somewhat different to me, as this Diwali festival is first of its kind in college life. The first ray of the Sun, was like so energetic and inspirable to achieve new horizons.

Not only Sun but, at the sea shore of Mithapur, repeatedly striking waves were also conveying the same message. “Now give up this laziness and put consistent efforts for bright career.”

The colorful Rangolis at each doorstep was like indication of our colorful shining future. The singing birds and smiling flowers were wishing Happy New Year.

Wind was carrying nice smell of those flowers.

That wind just whispered in my ears.

“Manish ! now you also finish this poem here after conveying Happy New Year to all your friends...

"And yes, along that, please do not forget to wish your friends to realize their sweet dreams in this new year.”

How is it?

It is my first poem. Yes I posted it on college’s notice board. I wrote like I have composed it on new year morning. Actually I composed it during my BE examination for Heat Power subject. It was so boring to read theory of hemi-spherical Cochran boiler and super saturated steam. So I took a small Kit-Kat break and jotted down my thoughts as my first poem.

If you do not know Kannada language, then you may be wondering what this title means? It is a line from title song of movie “Amrithadhare”. It means, “Do you remember your first poem?” Yes, I remember it and this post is about my first poem. Sometimes I will write about my innovative experiments with poetry. But now, let me follow what the wind suggested me. Let me end here and wish you all, Happy New Year.

Rangoli one of the most popular art forms in India. It is a form of sandpainting decoration that uses finely ground white powder and colors, and is used commonly outside homes in India.

I observed that @ South India daily people decorate the entrance with white powder Rangoli. @ my origin, Gujarat state, during Diwali festival, we all prepared colorful Rangolis at our entrance. It is welcoming to goddess of wealth - Lakshami.

I am just sharing Last two years Rangolis. The album contains few additional photos related to Diwali celebration. You can click above links OR look at both sidebars. I added them as slide shows for your convenience.

Next day to Diwali, is Hindu new year. We all great each other "SAAL MUBARAK" means, Happy New Year. We have social gathering at Mithapur club and same time, prizes are distributed to Rangoli competition winners.

First, time I celebrated this Diwali festival outside Mithapur, at Ahmedabad. We missed Mithapurians and Mithapur and off course Rangolis. However I received one nice photograph of one of the Rangolis. This reflects our joy for winning Nano project for Gujarat. Enjoy.

Anyway, I shared this photos on my Picasa album and my firend circle accorss the globe have appreciated the talents. What is your comments? Did you like these Rangolis and this blog entry?